Chamber and committees

To be clear, you researched that, but it was not possible to say whether the designation of the Welsh language in 2011 as an official language made a measurable difference.

I will push you on that. You talked about resources for teachers. If there is no standard definition of Scots—I think that you said that it includes Doric, Orkney Norn and Lallans Scots—you will need different resources in different parts of the country. You will also need to recruit teachers who are able to deliver those resources or train them to do so. How much will that cost, and where in the financial memorandum can I find out about that?

I have a question on Michelle Thomson’s point, which I agree is very interesting. The starting position is that it is for local authorities or Creative Scotland to choose whether to implement and promote what the bill is trying to achieve. That would require investment, but the context is that budgets are very tight. If a local authority is free to choose whether to do something, could it freely choose not to do something? If so, how would you achieve the change that Michelle Thomson is asking about?

If that is correct, how would a Scots language strategy imposed from the top adequately allow for the different versions of the Scots language to thrive?

Do you want to come back in, Nicola?

I think that the committee would benefit from that.

Good morning. You have a very ambitious and comprehensive plan in which you have, understandably, set out a number of outcomes. How will success be measured in relation to achievement of the plan?

I would like to ask about a not-unrelated point that you have both talked about already. I was really pleased to see just how wide the consultation was: we saw in the video how many views were taken and how you gave a voice to children and young people. How do you propose to communicate—not only with those who contributed, but with children and young people more widely—on how much progress is being made?

On that final point, the plan talks about supporting or prioritising children and young people whose rights are most at risk. Can you talk a little more about that? How will you assess who they are and what that will actually mean, as the work takes shape?

I am very grateful for that. Thank you.